Edwin t



(No Model.) E. T. BEAMAN.

FASTENING DEVIGE FOR PICTURES.

No. 417,805. Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

Fi i.

M544. J. Aim/WW,

. wa y JBWJVW saw 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT @lrricn.

BEAMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR PICTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,805, dated December 24, 1889.

Application filed March 7, 1889. Serial No. 302,388. (No model.)

To an whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN 'l. .IEEAMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Device for llolding Pictures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its main object to provide means for holding or retaining in position picture and similar frames suspended upon a wall. i

As is well known by observantpersons, framed pictures and the like hung by a wire or cord from a nail or hook in a wall easily shift from true position or get askew and present an unsightly appearance. This disarrangement of the picture may occur from various causes, but is brought about principally by the vibration. of the house or building, which may be due to the rumbling of heavy vehicles in the street, and by the rapid circulation of the air in, the room when the windows and doorsare open, as well as by the dust-brush in the hands of a person dusting the pictures and the wall.

With a View to overcoming the annoyance of finding pictures constantly disturbed, and hence requiring readjustment, l have devised a means for holding the same positively in place, which consists, essentially, in so 1 table base or support adapted to be attached to a picture-frame, and having projecting therefrom aspike or sharp prong adapted to pierce and enter the wall, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A further object of. my invention is to provide a means not only for fixing or maintaining the picture in proper posit-ion against casual displacement,but also for holding the lower edge of the frame out of contact. with the wall.

It is a well known fact that a picture hung so that the lower edge of the frame touches the wall forms a pocket or receptacle for the accumulation of dust and for the habitation of vermin. As a consequence, the wall is .soon marked or streaked at the line of contact of the frame, thus destroying the appearance of the plaster or the paper covering, and forbidding the removal of the'pieturc or any rearrangement which would expose that portion of the wall against which the frame previously rested. In order to avoid this objection of having the frame touch the surface of the wall, I so employ my picture-holding device as that it may serve the additional function of a means for keeping the lower edge of the pictureframe away from the surface of the wall.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a wall with a suspended picture, and illustrating the use of one of my new devices. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the picture-holder shown in side elevation at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention. Fig. 5 is a similar view of another modification. Fig. 6 is a like view of a further modification. Fig. 7 represents a plan view of still another modiiication, and Fig. 8 the application of thelastmentioned construction.

In the various views the same part will be found designated by the same letter of reference.

A designates a wall, and B a picture-frame suspended therefrom by a cord or wire C, attached to the frame in the usual way and passed over a hook orv nail, D,driven into the wall.

adesignates a base or support; I), a spiked or pointed leg or shank projecting therefrom in one direetion,'and ea similar device or a screw extending theref-remin the opposite direction.

Referring particularly'to Figs. 1,2, 3, 7 ,and 8, the base or support is represented as circular or disk-shaped, with flattened sides cl (1 and roughened periphery c,with the device 1) extending at right angles to the face cl and the device 0 at right angles to the face (1'.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5,and 6,the base a and the fastening devices I) and c are made of a single piece of wire so bent as to bring the base or support a between the oppositely-projecting devices b and o.

In every instance it will be observed that the portion marked I) is the same in construction, and that it is pointed or sharpened in order that it may be forced or pressed into the wall, and in some of the views it will be seen that the portion, marked a is made in the manner of the part bthat is, pointed or sharpwhile in others of the views it will be noticed that the part c is made in the form of a screw. In either case it is adapted to serve its purpose.namely, to be entered or forced ;into the wood of the picture-frame 1- The portions 1) and 0 may be respectively pressed or forced into the wall and into the picture-frame by reason of the presence of the intermediately-located common base a, which not only serves to support the devices 1) and 0, but also serves as a convenient means by which said devices may be caused to engage with the wall and the picture-frame. The base may be of any'desired size or shape and may be made of any suitable material, metal being preferred. The devices I) and 0 may be made separate fI'OIII tlIG base and attached thereto on opposite sides, or may be made integral or of a piece therewith, as shown.

In the use of a device embodying my invention the part c is forced into the lower rear side of the picture-frame and the part 1) into the wall, substai'ltially as illustrated.

If the device 0 be made in the form of a screw, it may be screwed into the frame eonveniently by means of the base or support a,

I and if made in the form of a spike it may be forced into the frame by pressing upon the base. )V hen the part chas been attached to the frame, the part Z) may be forced into the wall the desired distance by pressing upon the frame. Should the device 0 be made in the form of a spike, the device I) may be inserted in the wall first, using the base to effect the penetration.

An inspection of Figs. '1 and 8 wiltshow the application or use of fastenings embracing my invention. In the first named figure the device 0 is made in the form of a screw and in the last-named in the form of a spike or plain pointed instrument. In Fig. 1 the base is arranged at an angle to the wall, and in Fig. 8 parallel therewith. In the former figure the insertion of the devices Z) and e is effected to such an extent as to insure the standing away from the wall of the lower edge of the picture-frame, in order to avoid the objections hitherto explained, while in the latter figure the devices so far penetrate the wall and picture-frame as to allow contact of the two and the formation of the objectionable dustpocket referred to. In practice, however, I prefer to secure the relationship of parts as exhibited at Fig. 1.

Itwill be seen that by my invention I have produced a new article of manufacture-viz, a device whereby the picture may be fixed positively in position against accidental de- 'rangement, and whereby at the same time the picture-frame may be prevented from touching the wall.

The contrlvance is not only simple and economic of construction, but is easy of application, and when in use is always hidden from view by the picture-frame.

I have shown my invention carried out in the best forms n w known to me; but, appreciating the fact that numerous other modifications or changes in detail construction may still be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, I desire it to be understood that I do not consider myself limited to the precise forms and constructions shown.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a picture-frame, of a penetrating-instrument provided at the rear side of said frame and adapted for engagement with the supporting-wall, whereby displacement or swaying of the picture and contact of the frame with the wall may be prevented, substantially as shown and described.

2. A picture-holdin g device made of a single piece of wire looped in the middle to form the base a, and constructed at one end for engagement with a picture frame and pointed at the other end for the purpose of penetrating a wall,substantially as shown and described 3. [I picture-herding device made of asingle piece of wire pointed at both ends and looped to form the base a intermediate the ends, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 5th day of March, A. l). 1889.

EDWVIN T. BEAMAN.

Witnesses:

.1 A0015 FELBEL, MARTIN LAYDEN. 

